Jan 19, 2012

12:20 PM

Dinosaurs on Display

If these programs are any indication, dinosaurs still roam the Philadelphia and Wilmington area! These dinosaur-themed exhibits and events are a roaring good time for all ages.

Get up close with Giant Mysterious Dinosaurs at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, like the Mamenchisaurus, the longest-necked animal that ever lived, and the bizarre Tsintaosaurus, which has a unicorn spike. Besides viewing skeletons, you can watch robotic dinosaurs and kids can dig for fossils in a dig pit. $18-$25 tickets include museum general admission, $6-$10 evening tickets for this exhibit only.

Giants: African Dinosaurs at the Delaware Museum of History in Wilmington includes life-size, 25-ft.-long skeletons of carnivores that roamed Africa more than 160 million years ago. Enjoy hands-on activities and a video of expeditions by world-renowned paleontologist Paul Sereno, Ph.D. Free with admission, $6-$8.

The Granite Run Mall in Media, PA is displaying a collection of dinosaur skeletons from Delaware Valley resident "Dino Don" Lessem, who served as an advisor to the film Jurassic Park. The collection includes the velociraptor from the film. Activities for kids include digging for fossils, watching a "Dinosaur Boxing Match" and a "Dino Hunters Shooting Gallery." $4-$7, with $1 from each ticket benefiting local schools.

Dinosaurs won't be on display at Brandywine Creek State Park in Wilmington, but a program on Saturday afternoon Jan. 21 divulges into the history of dinosaurs, exploring the differences between today's reptiles and dinosaurs of the past. $2 per person, pre-register.